The journalists and the Media are an important pillar of our democratic foundation, and for this reason, they have the active support of the Government, stated President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, in a speech in Paphos during an event organised on Monday evening by Kosmos Radio and the newspaper ‘Adesmeftos’ to mark over 20 years of contribution to the local community of Paphos.
President Christodoulides said that there are many things that need to be done in the field of journalism in Cyprus, starting first with the media professionals, many of whom face daily rights violations. He announced that recently, during a meeting with them, he introduced an initiative aimed at addressing these challenges.
He also underlined that this effort will continue because “we believe in journalists’ access to sources of information, serve transparency, and practice accountability daily.”
A very characteristic example of this, said President Christodoulides, is the institutionalization of the government’s annual planning at the beginning of each year, an innovation adopted over the last two years.
“Regarding support for local media, within the next two months, the Government, through the Press and Information Office and the Ministry of Interior, will announce a specific plan to support local media because we truly believe in the important role you play, and there is indeed a gap that we, as the executive power, will come to fill” the President remarked.
He also expressed his satisfaction for participating in the event to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Kosmos Radio and the newspaper ‘Adesmeftos of Paphos’, two local media outlets which, as he said, he knows very well, contributing significantly and decisively to the local community of Paphos and beyond.
Despite this, it is also a fact, continued the President, “that in recent years, the press — especially print media — has been experiencing a decline, mainly due to the dominance of digital media.” He warned that technological progress in the field of information does not automatically translate into quality improvement, as in many cases, it is severely affected by misinformation, false news, and paid content, and citizens are viewed more often as consumers rather than as informed citizens.
“I do not need to emphasise that criticism, no matter how strict, is always welcome, as long as it serves the well-intentioned interest and not any other ulterior motive,” said President Christodoulides.
He also stated that, “we all agree that the press, the so-called ‘Fourth Estate,’ has the privilege of exercising control over the other three powers — the Executive, the Legislative, and the Judicial — but this, like all of us, does not make it unaccountable or beyond criticism.”
On his part, Archbishop of Cyprus, Georgios, said that nowadays, amid a crisis of moral values and ideals, “journalists and the media as a whole are called to approach with particular respect and discernment the human factor, as well as concepts related to humanity, honor, and dignity.”
The President of the Cyprus Journalists’ Union, Giorgos Frangos, among others, stated that local media have always flourished in Paphos and referred to “a more solid sustainability, because the local community embraces them with greater warmth than in other cities and regions.”
On his part, Paphos Mayor Faidon Faidonos said that these two media outlets have written their own history in the Paphos district.
“Freedom of the press is the foundation of democracy,” he noted, adding that “in a time when information risks drowning in an ocean of misinformation and fake news, the need for responsible, credible, and truthful journalism is more urgent than ever”.
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Source: CNA
